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§ THE GLASS FACTORY. §
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##&&§^=,.. SEVERAL CENTURIES AFTER IT HAD LAST ..,=^§&&##
#&&§^=,... BELONGED TO US, WE WENT ON AN OUTING TO ...,=^§&&#
&&§^=,.... THE GLASS FACTORY THAT BORE OUR FAMILY ....,=^§&&
&§^=,..... NAME. IT HAD CHANGED OWNERS MANY TIMES .....,=^§&
§^=,...... SINCE OUR ANCESTORS DEATH, AND THEN ......,=^§
&§^=,..... STOOD ABANDONED FOR A LONG WHILE. .....,=^§&
&&§^=,.... FINALLY, THE NATURAL END STATION FOR ....,=^§&&
#&&§^=,... THE BUILDINGS THAT SURVIVE: A MUSEUM, ...,=^§&&#
##&&§^=,.. AND A GIFT SHOP. ..,=^§&&##
###&&§^=,. .,=^§&&###
##&&§^=,.. THERE'S A LONG TIME SINCE MY FAMILY ..,=^§&&##
#&&§^=,... MADE ANYTHING. BY MANY, WE WOULD BE ...,=^§&&#
&&§^=,.... CONSIDERED POOR. ....,=^§&&
&§^=,..... .....,=^§&
§^=,...... THERE ARE TWO MAIN FACTORY BUILDINGS, ......,=^§
&§^=,..... DOMED THINGS OF SEVERAL FLOORS, MADE IN .....,=^§&
&&§^=,.... YELLOW BRICK. LARGE BUT NARROW WINDOWS, ....,=^§&&
#&&§^=,... REMINESCENT OF SOME CATHEDRAL. ...,=^§&&#
##&&§^=,.. CUSTOM-MADE GLASS, OF COURSE, LARGE AND ..,=^§&&##
###&&§^=,. LEADED, AND ASHEN. A BIT TOO DARK TO BE .,=^§&&###
##&&§^=,.. PRACTICAL. ON THE EASTERN BUILDING, ..,=^§&&##
#&&§^=,... SOME ARE SHATTERED. ...,=^§&&#
&&§^=,.... ....,=^§&&
&§^=,..... THE OTHER ONE IS PUBLICLY OPEN. THERE'S .....,=^§&
§^=,...... A MUSEUM, WITH WAX FIGURES OF MY GREAT ......,=^§
&§^=,..... GREAT GREAT GRANDFATHER, OR SOMETHING. .....,=^§&
&&§^=,.... VARIOUS TOOLS (OR REPLICAS) LAID OUT ON ....,=^§&&
#&&§^=,... TABLES, WITH EXPLAINING TEXTS. A LOT OF ...,=^§&&#
##&&§^=,.. GLASS OF VARYING THICKNESS. ..,=^§&&##
###&&§^=,. .,=^§&&###
##&&§^=,.. §§ ..,=^§&&##
#&&§^=,... §§ §§ ...,=^§&&#
&&§^=,.... ======= § § ======= ....,=^§&&
&§^=,..... §§ §§ .....,=^§&
§^=,...... §§ ......,=^§
&§^=,..... .....,=^§&
&&§^=,.... I QUICKLY SNEAK OUT, AND CLIMB INTO THE ....,=^§&&
#&&§^=,... OTHER BUILDING. THE CONTRAST IS ...,=^§&&#
##&&§^=,.. OVERWHELMING. IT MUST HAVE STOOD ..,=^§&&##
###&&§^=,. DERELICT FOR A LONG TIME, WINDOWS .,=^§&&###
##&&§^=,.. BROKEN, METALLIC TRASH AND POOLS OF ..,=^§&&##
#&&§^=,... DARK GLASS ALL OVER THE FLOOR. NO ...,=^§&&#
&&§^=,.... ELECTRIC LIGHTS, BUT I CAN SEE BY THE ....,=^§&&
&§^=,..... LIGHT THAT SHINES IN WHEREVER THE DARK .....,=^§&
§^=,...... WINDOWS ARE MISSING A PANE. ......,=^§
&§^=,..... .....,=^§&
&&§^=,.... HOWEVER, THE GREATEST DIFFERENCE IS THE ....,=^§&&
#&&§^=,... HIGHER FLOORS: THIS BUILDING HAS NONE. ...,=^§&&#
##&&§^=,.. IT IS ONE MASSIVE HALL, STRETCHING AWAY ..,=^§&&##
###&&§^=,. INFINITELY ABOVE ME. SOMEWHERE UP THERE .,=^§&&###
##&&§^=,.. IS SOME GREAT IRON LATTICEWORK, FROM ..,=^§&&##
#&&§^=,... WHERE CHAINS ARE SUSPENDED, AND PARTS ...,=^§&&#
&&§^=,.... OF MACHINERY HAS BEEN FALLING DOWN. ....,=^§&&
&§^=,..... .....,=^§&
§^=,...... THERE IS, IN THE MIDDLE OF THE GREAT ......,=^§
&§^=,..... HALL, A THIN SPIRAL STAIRCASE THAT .....,=^§&
&&§^=,.... LEADS UP THERE. I SNEAK OVER THERE, AND ....,=^§&&
#&&§^=,... TAKE A FEW RELUCTANT STEPS. AFTER JUST ...,=^§&&#
##&&§^=,.. A REVOLUTION, I NOTICE THAT FOR EACH ..,=^§&&##
###&&§^=,. STEP THE BUILDING STARTS TO GLOW, THE .,=^§&&###
##&&§^=,.. BRICKS TURNING A DARK RED, AND THEN ..,=^§&&##
#&&§^=,... ORANGE, ALL THE PILED UP DEBREE BEING ...,=^§&&#
&&§^=,.... LIT FROM BEHIND. ....,=^§&&
&§^=,..... .....,=^§&
§^=,...... I STOP READY TO RUN DOWN AND OUT, BUT ......,=^§
&§^=,..... THERE'S SOMEONE ELSE ON THE STAIRCASE .....,=^§&
&&§^=,.... WITH ME NOW, PRESSED CLOSE. HE'S ....,=^§&&
#&&§^=,... LOOKING LIKE ME, SHORT HAIR AND THIN ...,=^§&&#
##&&§^=,.. ARMS, BUT WITH EARS FROM SOME ANIMAL, ..,=^§&&##
###&&§^=,. AND MORE DISTURBINGLY, COMPLETELY MADE .,=^§&&###
##&&§^=,.. OF DARK LIQUID GLASS. ..,=^§&&##
#&&§^=,... ...,=^§&&#
&&§^=,.... §§ ....,=^§&&
&§^=,..... §§ §§ .....,=^§&
§^=,...... ======= § § ======= ......,=^§
&§^=,..... §§ §§ .....,=^§&
&&§^=,.... §§ ....,=^§&&
#&&§^=,... ...,=^§&&#
##&&§^=,.. MY FEAR HOLDS ME IN PLACE WHILE HE ..,=^§&&##
###&&§^=,. STARTS OPERATING LEVERS AND DIALS SET .,=^§&&###
##&&§^=,.. IN THE CENTER OF THE STAIRCASE. SLOWLY, ..,=^§&&##
#&&§^=,... IT STARTS SPINNING, CIRCLING UPWARDS. ...,=^§&&#
&&§^=,.... IT'S AN ELEVATOR! I START TO RUN ....,=^§&&
&§^=,..... DOWNWARDS, BUT NOW THE LIQUID BOY .....,=^§&
§^=,...... CREATURE GRABS HOLD OF ME. I TRY TO ......,=^§
&§^=,..... SHAKE HIM OFF, BUT HE'S TOO STRONG, AND .....,=^§&
&&§^=,.... PULLS ME BACK UP BESIDE HIM. ....,=^§&&
#&&§^=,... ...,=^§&&#
##&&§^=,.. THIS TIME, I TURN ANGRY INSTEAD. WHAT ..,=^§&&##
###&&§^=,. THE HELL? WHO IS THIS GUY, ACTING LIKE .,=^§&&###
##&&§^=,.. THIS? I REACH OUT MY FREE ARM AND SLAM ..,=^§&&##
#&&§^=,... A RANDOM LEVER. SOME METAL BAR IS ...,=^§&&#
&&§^=,.... SUDDENLY RELEASED BETWEEN US, HITTING ....,=^§&&
&§^=,..... HIM ON THE ARM, FORCING MY RELEASE. I .....,=^§&
§^=,...... SHOVE HIM OFF OF ME, AND HE FALLS INTO ......,=^§
&§^=,..... THE LEVERS, MESSING THEM UP. .....,=^§&
&&§^=,.... IMMEDIATELY, A THIN RUSTY CHAINMAIL ....,=^§&&
#&&§^=,... CURTAIN IS DROPPED AROUND ME. BUT THE ...,=^§&&#
##&&§^=,.. ELEVATOR ALSO SPEEDS UP SIGNIFICANTLY. ..,=^§&&##
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##&&§^=,.. THE WALLS ARE FLARING NOW, YELLOW, ..,=^§&&##
#&&§^=,... WHITE, ALMOST BLUE. I CLOSE MY EYES AND ...,=^§&&#
&&§^=,.... CURL INTO A BALL. BUT THEN, THE GLASS ....,=^§&&
&§^=,..... BOY SCREAMS, A PIERCING SOUND THAT .....,=^§&
§^=,...... FORCES MY EYES BACK OPEN. I WATCH AS HE ......,=^§
&§^=,..... BECOMES TOO LIQUID, HIS BODY POOLING .....,=^§&
&&§^=,.... DOWN IN HIS NOW MASSIVE TAIL, AND THE ....,=^§&&
#&&§^=,... TIP OF IT SUDDENLY BREAKS OF IN A GLASS ...,=^§&&#
##&&§^=,.. DROP THAT FALLS TOWARD THE FACTORY ..,=^§&&##
###&&§^=,. FLOOR. .,=^§&&###
##&&§^=,.. ..,=^§&&##
#&&§^=,... HE'S CRAWLING ON THE STAIRS, UNABLE TO ...,=^§&&#
&&§^=,.... KEEP HIS BODY UPRIGHT. CAN'T REACH THE ....,=^§&&
&§^=,..... LEVERS, CLAWS AT MY CHAINMAIL CAGE, .....,=^§&
§^=,...... WHILE HIS BODY IS TURNING INTO DARK ......,=^§
&§^=,..... PEARLS. FINALLY, HE'S LOST TOO MUCH OF .....,=^§&
&&§^=,.... HIMSELF AND THE SCREAM IS CUT SHORT. ....,=^§&&
#&&§^=,... THE LAST OF HIM RAINS DOWN. ...,=^§&&#
##&&§^=,.. ..,=^§&&##
###&&§^=,. I STILL CAN'T REACH THE LEVERS FROM .,=^§&&###
##&&§^=,.. WITHIN MY CAGE. LOOKING UP, I TRY TO ..,=^§&&##
#&&§^=,... MAKE OUT THE CEILING, BUT IT'S ALL A ...,=^§&&#
&&§^=,.... WHIRLING SEA OF COLOURS. BELOW ME GLOWS ....,=^§&&
&§^=,..... THE HELLFIRE OF THE FACTORY WALLS, BUT .....,=^§&
§^=,...... VERY FAINT. I SIT DOWN, CURL BACK UP, ......,=^§
&§^=,..... BECOME STILL. .....,=^§&
&&§^=,.... ....,=^§&&
#&&§^=,... §§ ...,=^§&&#
##&&§^=,.. §§ §§ ..,=^§&&##
###&&§^=,. ======= § § ======= .,=^§&&###
##&&§^=,.. §§ §§ ..,=^§&&##
#&&§^=,... §§ ...,=^§&&#
&&§^=,.... ....,=^§&&
&§^=,..... A LARGE CLUNK SHAKES MY ENTIRE BODY, .....,=^§&
§^=,...... AND SNAPS ME BACK INTO REALITY. I'M ......,=^§
&§^=,..... BACK AT THE FACTORY FLOOR, BUT THE .....,=^§&
&&§^=,.... STAIRS ARE STILL MOVING SLIGHTLY, ....,=^§&&
#&&§^=,... CLICKING IN PLACE, CARRYING ME THE LAST ...,=^§&&#
##&&§^=,.. FEW CENTIMETERS. I CAME FROM BELOW, ..,=^§&&##
###&&§^=,. SOMEHOW. THE CHAINMAIL IS RETRACTED, .,=^§&&###
##&&§^=,.. AND I SLOWLY DISMOUNT THE STAIRS. ..,=^§&&##
#&&§^=,... ...,=^§&&#
&&§^=,.... SHAKING AND CRYING, I MAKE MY WAY OVER ....,=^§&&
&§^=,..... THE FACTORY FLOOR, WADING THROUGH DARK .....,=^§&
§^=,...... GLASS MARBLES. A QUICK GLANCE DOWN, AND ......,=^§
&§^=,..... I SEE THERE'S SOMETHING FAINT INSIDE .....,=^§&
&&§^=,.... THEM. EMBRYOS? ARE THESE EGGS? ....,=^§&&
#&&§^=,... ...,=^§&&#
##&&§^=,.. I SHUDDER, AND CLIMB BACK OUT. ..,=^§&&##
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